How to Automatically Back Up YouTube Shorts and Repost Them
You can automatically back up your own YouTube Shorts to Google Drive or Dropbox and create separate workflows to repost them to other social accounts. In this guide, I’ll show you the approach I demonstrated using my YouTube channel and Repurpose.
Why I back up my YouTube videos
I want a copy of my videos outside YouTube. If I lose access to the channel or need to reuse a video later, I do not want YouTube to be the only place I can find it.
In my demonstration, Repurpose loaded 145 videos from my channel. I sent a Short to Google Drive and showed the saved file. That is the starting point here: a repeatable way to save your content, with distribution as a separate next step.
Keep your original recordings and project files too. Saving the published video does not recreate your editing project or back up your entire YouTube account.
Do you need a paid YouTube downloader?
For an occasional download of your own upload, you may not need another tool. The problem I wanted to solve was remembering to save each video and then repeatedly uploading it to other platforms.
That manual routine was the part I struggled to keep doing. If you publish Shorts regularly, automating those repeat tasks can be more useful than a downloader you open one video at a time.
What Repurpose handles
Repurpose connects a source, such as your YouTube channel, to a destination, such as a Google Drive folder. A workflow tells it which content to send and where it should go.
You can keep one workflow for backups and separate workflows for Instagram Reels, TikTok, or other supported destinations. The backup does not need to be publicly reposted just because it was saved.
Affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission if you sign up through my links, at no extra cost to you.
How to back up YouTube videos to Google Drive
1. Connect your accounts
Add YouTube and Google Drive under Connections in Repurpose. Choose the correct channel and Google account during authorization. Dropbox is another supported storage destination if that is where you keep your files.
2. Create the backup workflow
Create a workflow named “YouTube to Google Drive.” Select YouTube as the source and choose your channel or a specific playlist. Use the full-video option for a complete copy, then choose Google Drive and your destination folder.
3. Test one video
Open the workflow’s content list and publish one video to the folder. Open the saved file in Drive and check that it plays through with the expected sound. Only then enable automatic processing for the content you want backed up.
The video above shows my original setup. The workflow builder may look different now, but the source, content selection, and destination still determine what gets saved.
Use a Shorts playlist to control what gets copied
In the demonstration, I used a playlist called “Shorts” to separate short videos from my longer uploads. Repurpose supports a specific YouTube playlist as a source, so you can use that approach when you only want selected Shorts.
Keep the playlist up to date and check which videos appear in the workflow. For older videos, process a small batch first. Your backup folder and your public posting schedule can have different rules; saving an archive does not mean publishing the whole archive to Instagram.
How much does Repurpose cost?
As of September 17, 2026, the public Starter plan is $35 per month or $349 billed annually, in USD. The $25 monthly price in my older video is no longer current.
Whether it is worth paying for depends on how often you publish and how many repeat uploads it replaces. Measure the time your actual workflow takes instead of assuming a fixed saving per video. See the current pricing before choosing a plan.
Repost your YouTube Shorts to other platforms
Once the backup works, add a separate workflow from YouTube to one social destination. For example, choose your Shorts playlist as the source and Instagram Reels as the destination. Connect the intended Instagram Creator or Business account, then test one post.
Review the caption and framing on the published version. Build additional destination workflows after that first one works, and avoid two workflows sending the same video to the same account.
For videos that need to be cut down or reframed first, use my YouTube-to-vertical-clips guide. If TikTok is your starting platform, follow the TikTok-to-Reels-and-Shorts tutorial instead.
Check trial access before planning a YouTube workflow
Solopreneur readers can access an extended 30-day trial through my partner offer. Confirm the publishing allowance and available sources in your account when you sign up.
Repurpose’s current platform guide says its standard trial excludes YouTube as a source; that becomes available on paid plans. Do not assume an extended trial includes YouTube-source access. If it is missing, check with Repurpose before paying specifically for this workflow.
Choose new content or your existing backlog
Before enabling automation, decide which videos should be processed. Repurpose’s As Soon As Possible mode handles future content after activation. Scheduled publishing can handle existing content, future content, or both, depending on its Content Filter.
Check that filter rather than assuming automation means “new videos only.” Review the publishing-mode settings, and periodically check for skipped or failed items.
Start with one backup and one destination
My recommendation is to get one video safely into your chosen folder, then make one social repost look right. Once those steps work, you have a much better basis for deciding which other uploads to automate.
Read my Repurpose review for the broader picture, or open the extended trial offer and check the options available for your account.
